Daylilies are some of the easiest flowers to grow, and they put on a pretty spectacular show each summer. Although maintenance requirements are low, cutting back daylily plants once in a while will keep them healthier and producing pretty flowers for years to come.
When to Cut Back Daylilies
The minimum daylily trimming you should do is an annual tidy
up of spent leaves and stems. This is important because it keeps the ground
clean and prevents or minimizes the buildup of pests or pathogens. You can do
this in late fall or early spring, depending on when you want to put in the
effort.
If you choose to do the cleanup
in the fall, you can wait until the first hard frost before cutting back
leaves. In the spring, it’s best to trim just before or as the new green growth
is coming up from the ground. Some varieties of daylily are evergreen. These
will not brown as easily and you can leave the trimming for spring.
You can also trim throughout the summer to keep your
perennial beds clean and tidy and your plants healthy. As often as after each
bloom is spent or leaf wilts, you can trim back dead material. A good time for
a more concerted effort is during late summer when you get a second flush
of blooms. Just avoid cutting back the entire plant until late fall or
early spring.
How to Cut Down Daylily Plants
Daylily pruning is simple. The scapes, which are the stalks
or stems the flowers bloom on, can be cut back right at the base with pruning
shears. Alternatively, you can wait until a tug on the scape dislodges it
easily.
When leaves brown in fall, or after the first frost, cut leaves back using sheers. Cut them to an inch or two (2.5-5 cm.) from the soil. If you use a knife or shears on your daylilies, make sure they are clean and sanitized to avoid spreading diseases. Likewise, remove and discard the leaves and scapes you remove so that the material will not clutter the ground, making a good home for pests.
Daylilies are some of the easiest flowers to grow, and they put on a pretty spectacular show each summer. Although maintenance requirements are low, cutting back daylily plants once in a while will keep them healthier and producing pretty flowers for years to come.
When to Cut Back Daylilies
The minimum daylily trimming you should do is an annual tidy
up of spent leaves and stems. This is important because it keeps the ground
clean and prevents or minimizes the buildup of pests or pathogens. You can do
this in late fall or early spring, depending on when you want to put in the
effort.
If you choose to do the cleanup
in the fall, you can wait until the first hard frost before cutting back
leaves. In the spring, it’s best to trim just before or as the new green growth
is coming up from the ground. Some varieties of daylily are evergreen. These
will not brown as easily and you can leave the trimming for spring.
You can also trim throughout the summer to keep your
perennial beds clean and tidy and your plants healthy. As often as after each
bloom is spent or leaf wilts, you can trim back dead material. A good time for
a more concerted effort is during late summer when you get a second flush
of blooms. Just avoid cutting back the entire plant until late fall or
early spring.
How to Cut Down Daylily Plants
Daylily pruning is simple. The scapes, which are the stalks
or stems the flowers bloom on, can be cut back right at the base with pruning
shears. Alternatively, you can wait until a tug on the scape dislodges it
easily.
When leaves brown in fall, or after the first frost, cut leaves back using sheers. Cut them to an inch or two (2.5-5 cm.) from the soil. If you use a knife or shears on your daylilies, make sure they are clean and sanitized to avoid spreading diseases. Likewise, remove and discard the leaves and scapes you remove so that the material will not clutter the ground, making a good home for pests.